New & Intending GP Trainers
Because becoming a great trainer is itself a training journey — and someone should have told you how long it takes.
📥 Downloads
Handouts, planning resources, and teaching tools — ready when you are.
📂 Becoming a Training Practice
Guides, checklists, and presentations to help your practice get training-ready.
path: BECOMING A TRAINING PRACTICE
- basics about gp training.pptx
- becoming a training practice by yorks deanery.doc
- becoming a training practice.ppt
- checklist for the new trainees room.pdf
- is your practice ready for training.pdf
- recommendations for new training practices.doc
- summarising medical notes for gp training.doc
- the drives and blocks to training.doc
📂 Intending Trainer Resources
Interview preparation, expectations, qualities frameworks, and survival guides.
path: INTENDING TRAINER RESOURCES
- assessing the intending trainer.doc
- expectations of gp trainers.doc
- how different are we from todays trainees.doc
- info for potential trainers and training practices.doc
- qualities of a good teacher or trainer.doc
- qualities of a good trainee.doc
- qualities of a good trainer.doc
- role of the trainer 2001 - old but still very good read.pdf
- the different hats of a gp trainer.doc
- tips for gp training.doc
- trainer competencies (west midlands group).pdf
- trainer interview - how well prepared are you.doc
- trainer survival guide - from Bath.doc
📂 Organisational Matters
Resources for practice managers — from induction to employment recommendations.
path: ORGANISATIONAL MATTERS
- 01 gp training basics for practice managers.ppt
- 02 practice managers - expectations of trainees and training practices.ppt
- 03 practice managers - becoming a training practice.ppt
- 04 practice managers - systems in gp training.ppt
- common gp training scenarios for practice managers.doc
- employment recommendations for training practices.doc
- expectations of gp trainers.doc
- practice managers - induction to gp training (TEACHING RESOURCE).doc
Share your own resources
If you have teaching files you'd like hosted and shared with others, please email them to rameshmehay@googlemail.com — all contributions gratefully received.
🌐 Web Resources
A hand-picked mix of Bradford VTS pages and external resources. Because sometimes the best pearls are not hiding in the official documents.
Teaching & Educational Skills
GP Training Structure & Tools
Official & External Resources
⚡ Quick Summary — If You Only Read One Thing
The essential overview for the busy intending trainer. Everything else on this page goes deeper.
⏱ Timeline
Expect 1–2 years from expressing interest to being approved. Apply well in advance — you won't receive a trainee overnight.
🎓 What You Need to Do
- Complete a new trainer's course or PGCert/PGCE in Medical Education
- Get an educational mentor from your TPD
- Attend trainers' workshops locally and via the deanery
- Get involved with Half Day Release (HDR)
- Practice your educational skills on borrowed trainees
🏥 Practice Readiness
- Get everyone in the practice on board — not just you
- Involve your Practice Manager from day one
- Prepare a timetable meeting the 7 clinical + 3 non-clinical session rule
- Plan a proper induction for your incoming trainee
🎙 The Interview
- It lasts only 20–30 minutes — not an interrogation
- They want to see commitment, self-reflection, and preparation
- Know basic educational theory, feedback skills, and learning needs
- Be yourself. Honesty about gaps scores well
📚 Priority Learning Topics
- Basic educational theory (Constructivism, Adult Learning)
- Identifying learning needs and devising learning plans
- How to give good feedback
- COT and CBD assessment skills
- The GP Training Map — understand what trainees need to achieve
✅ Common Interview Failures
- Poor or incomplete trainee timetable (most common)
- No evidence of attending workshops or deanery courses
- Weak knowledge of educational theory basics
- Practice not genuinely on board
- No educational mentor relationship established
💡 Why Become a GP Trainer?
There is a lot to learn — both knowledge and skills — in a relatively short space of time. But it is one of the most rewarding things a GP can do.
This page is your one-stop dashboard for the new and intending GP trainer journey. You do not need to read it all today. Come back to it again and again as your understanding deepens and your confidence grows.
Teaching is not just going through slides on a PowerPoint. You are shaping the next generation of GPs. That is a serious privilege — and one that requires real skill, real knowledge, and real commitment.
The good news is that the skills you build as a GP Trainer will serve you in every area of your professional life: facilitation, feedback, coaching, mentoring, leadership. These are not just teaching skills. They are life skills.
~99% of queries about UK GP training answered right here on Bradford VTS (created 2002)
3 roles Teacher · Assessor · Mentor — the core hats of every GP Trainer
The Honest Pros & Cons
You would be right to ask why we do it — it is not particularly well paid. Here is what experienced trainers actually say.
✅ The Positives
- Approval signals quality. Becoming a training practice is a visible marker of high standards across record keeping, organisation, premises, and patient care.
- Intellectual stimulation. Contact with young doctors keeps everyone fresher and more attuned to developments in general practice.
- The reward of watching someone grow. Seeing a doctor develop under your guidance is, frankly, immeasurable.
- Practical and financial. You gain a pair of hands and some training income in return.
- Balance. Educational work is a healthy counterweight to clinical work — for you and for the whole practice.
- Continuous development. Training keeps you and the practice clinically up to date.
- Peer network. Trainers' Workshops and Time Out days connect you with fellow trainers and prevent stagnation through cross-fertilisation of ideas.
- GP recruitment advantage. Training practices attract new GPs — both ex-trainees who loved the practice, and others attracted by training status.
- Contribution to the future of general practice. And contribution makes one feel good.
⚠️ The Challenges
- Trainee changeover. Every 6–12 months means disruption to continuity of patient care — and the trainer often picks up what is left behind.
- Variable trainee quality. Occasional demotivation from a poor trainee, although recruitment is now much more rigorous.
- Balance of training vs service. The educational emphasis means the net service gain from a trainee is less than it might appear.
- Assessment burden. Some trainers find the WPBA tick-box process demotivating.
- Role conflict. Being mentor, friend, and assessor all at once creates genuine tensions.
- Time pressure. Difficulty attending workshops and Time Outs if you are overstretched — but then again, that may be a sign to drop something else first.
- Pay. GP training does not pay brilliantly. This can sometimes mean training loses priority within the practice.
- Reapproval every 5 years. A rigorous process that some find onerous.
Having read both sides — where do you sit?
If you are still in the pre-contemplation phase, have a coffee with a neighbouring established GP Trainer. Ask them directly what training is like. Get the contact details for your local Training Scheme. And remember: you have to make the right decision for your practice and you — if either one is not genuinely on board, it will not go well.
Remember: training is a practice activity — not a solo project. In the old days, one trainer carried everything. Today, the whole practice shares the responsibility. That makes it far more sustainable — and far more enjoyable.
🌱 How to Create the Right Ethos in Your Practice
Getting everyone on board is not a one-time conversation. It is an ongoing culture shift. Here is a practical approach:
Create the right ethos
Make GP training a shared practice value — not just the trainer's personal passion. Everyone needs to feel part of it.
Hook the PM in
If there is one person who can make training run smoothly — it is the Practice Manager. Get them as enthusiastic as you are.
Get others involved
Ask colleagues to take debriefs, tutorials, or supervision. Shared involvement prevents burnout and builds a training culture.
Train people up
Partners often hold back because they feel unqualified to teach. Arrange basic teaching workshops. Invite the deanery to help.
Include training on the agenda
Add a GP training item to every practice meeting. Problems get shared and solved together — training stops being "your thing".
😅 There Is a Lot to Read. Where Do I Start?
Yes — there is an enormous amount to learn. But how you approach that learning makes all the difference. Here are six strategies that work.
You have 1–2 years to absorb and apply this information. So set up a timetable where you devote — say — 90 minutes three times a week. Try and pick the same days and same times, because habits are far easier to form when they are predictable.
Don't spend hours trying to absorb this new material — it will drive you mental! Our active learning capacity is around 20–30 minutes. In addition to spacing out your learning, take regular 10-minute breaks within each session.
Your 90-Minute Session Plan
Focus
10 min
Focus
10 min
Focus
Bradford VTS has created something called "The GP Training Map". This outlines what the GP trainee has to achieve by the end of 3 years of UK GP training — what is expected, and by when.
This map helps you understand what is expected of you as a GP Trainer throughout the journey. Please come back to it often. Double-check your trainee is on track. It is also accessible through the main horizontal menu at the top of the Bradford VTS website under "GP TRAINING".
The other thing to familiarise yourself with is all the sub-components of the MRCGP — things like the Work-Place Based Assessments (WPBAs) such as COTs and CBDs. You can find help files and useful resources through the main horizontal menu on the Bradford VTS website under the header "MRCGP".
Your GP training course will guide you through these in the right order. Below are the key areas to get to grips with. Don't try to learn them all at once — come back to each one over time.
Don't just learn the theory — you have to apply it. Just as you expect your GP trainees to apply what you teach them, you must do the same. So, do some assessments with a GP trainee in your practice — or borrow one if you don't have one.
Practise debriefs
Try debriefs and some WPBAs on your fellow GP colleagues first — before a real trainee arrives.
Practise giving feedback
Both at home and at work. It is a skill that genuinely improves with repetition — and it matters in every area of life.
Sit in with established trainers
Observe a COT, CBD, or Educational Supervision session. Seeing what "good" looks like is one of the fastest ways to learn.
Attend HDR & help co-facilitate
Ask if you can help co-facilitate HEE GP School courses. If anyone offers you the chance — take it. You will learn skills that stick with you for the rest of your life.
When you have embarked on a new pathway, research has proven the value of mentoring for improving your rapid and effective development. If you have a mentor, one of the biggest benefits is being able to achieve your goals more quickly and effectively than working alone.
Build a network of expertise
A mentor helps you build connections that benefit both yourself and others long after the formal sessions end.
An impartial sounding board
Mentors create valuable space and time for you to step back and review where you are now, where you want to get to, and how best to get there.
New perspectives
They will help you see things you have not seen before — contributing viewpoints, advice, and information from their own knowledge and experience.
Professional & personal growth
Mentors can assist you to achieve goals that enhance your professional and personal life. These skills go beyond GP training.
Is Educational Theory Really Necessary?
Many people find educational theory boring at first. That is usually because it has been written by academics for academics — in language designed to impress rather than communicate.
Bradford VTS has rewritten the fundamental educational theory in plain language, in a way that genuinely transforms how you think about teaching. This is not theory for theory's sake — it changes the way people learn. It matters.
Don't let bad prior experiences put you off. Visit the page, commit 20 minutes, and expect some genuine light-bulb moments.
📖 Key Principles of Good Teaching — Good & McCaslin (1992)
These principles remain as relevant today as when they were written. Worth revisiting at every stage of your development as an educator.
- Your aim is to develop your trainee's expertise, their understanding of knowledge, and their ability to apply skills independently.
- Organise your teaching content around a small number of powerful ideas. Do not try to cover everything.
- Your role is not merely to present information — it is to scaffold your trainee's learning and respond to their efforts.
- The trainee's role is not to absorb passively — it is to actively make sense and construct meaning. Get them involved.
- Design activities that call for problem-solving and critical thinking, not just memory and reproduction.
- Higher-order thinking grows when trainees are asked to connect knowledge to real-life contexts — not just recall it.
Reference: Good & McCaslin (1992) — Teaching and Classroom Culture
🎬 Training the Trainer — Video Modules
Bradford VTS hosts 14 videos grouped into 3 modules to help you develop your educator skills. These are not designed specifically for GP trainers, but the key messages and principles translate directly.
Do not watch them all in one go. Watch one or two, then let it soak in. Mull it over. Build it into your own mental schema. Then come back for more. This is exactly how adults learn — and you are about to teach adults.
Module 1
Foundational teaching skills and educational principles
Module 2
Facilitation, feedback, and learner engagement
Module 3
Assessment, reflection, and advanced educator skills
👉 Access these via the GP Trainer page on Bradford VTS.
🗺 Your Journey to Becoming an Approved GP Trainer
It takes 1–2 years on average. Here is what that looks like in practice.
Express Interest
Contact your local GP Training Scheme. Meet with a TPD.
Application Form
Submit carefully. This is the panel's first impression of you.
Formal Training
PGCert/PGCE in Medical Education — or approved new trainer workshops.
Educational Mentor
Assigned by your TPD. Around 6 sessions of guided development.
Workshops & HDR
Local trainers' workshops plus deanery-led courses. HDR involvement.
The Interview
20–30 minutes. Relaxed but thorough. Focus on commitment & preparation.
Approval
You and your practice are both approved. The real adventure begins.
⏰ Apply 1–2 years BEFORE you want to start
This is the most commonly missed planning point. You will not get a trainee overnight. Approval takes time — so don't wait until you feel completely ready. That day may never come.
Why Does It Take So Long?
GP training is a specialty in its own right. You would have no hesitation completing a thorough training course to become a GP with a special interest in Dermatology or Diabetes. This is exactly the same — you are becoming a GP with a special interest in GP training and education.
That means new knowledge and new skills. Courses. Practice. Reflection. More courses. Refinement. And then the interview.
PGCert / PGCE Route
More rigorous, university-based. Highly rewarding but intensive. Many trainers describe it as transformative.
New Trainer Workshops Route
More practical and tailored to GP training. Revisits, reflects, builds. Constructivism in action.
Either Way…
Nearly every trainer says they loved their training course — including those who found it hard work.
🤝 Gaining the Support of Your Practice
GP training is a whole-practice activity — not just the trainer's personal project. Creating the right culture across the whole team is the foundation everything else is built on.
In a Nutshell…
Creating the right ethos towards GP training within the practice is incredibly important. This means everyone — not just you. When we refer to "others" in the practice, we are not just talking about the other GP partners — we are talking about the salaried doctors, the nurses, the admin staff, and so on.
Get everyone hooked up and keen
Hook the Practice Manager in as much as you
Get others involved in training
Train people up
Build GP training into practice meetings
1 Create the Right Ethos Across the Whole Practice
- ▸Are they all hooked up and keen on the idea of GP training as much as you? Do they all see the positive benefits?
- ▸Do most of them want to get involved? Are they willing to help?
- ▸Are there any people who don't share the same view? Can you tease out the underlying ideas, concerns and expectations that are grounding them to a negative stance? Can you work with them to move them on?
Most of this will need an initial team meeting, followed by some individual 1-to-1 work, and later — more team meetings. Don't try to do it all at once.
2 Hook the Practice Manager into GP Training As Much As You
- ▸If there is only one person who can make GP training happen smoothly — it is the Practice Manager.
- ▸There are going to be times when last-minute things need doing, sorting or changing — and a PM who is "hooked" will always make your life as a GP trainer a pleasant and enjoyable one.
- ▸And in times of difficult practice review discussions (e.g. training not bringing in enough money compared to other activities), they will come to your rescue!
3 Get Others Involved in Training
- ▸Get some of the other doctors to do debriefs, clinical supervision, tutorials, teaching audit, and so on.
- ▸Can you arrange basic teaching workshops within the practice? Does the deanery run any courses on teaching for non-training partners? Can the Programme Directors help? Can the practice release some people to attend HDR and help facilitate the teaching day?
4 Train People Up
Often other partners don't get involved in training because they feel they don't have the skills to teach. Can you arrange some basic teaching workshops within the practice? Does the deanery run any courses on teaching for non-training partners? Can the Programme Directors help? Can the practice release some people to attend HDR and help facilitate the teaching day?
5 Practice Meetings — Include a GP Training Agenda
- ▸Cover GP training updates and try to get a discussion going around important issues.
- ▸Get the rest of the team to problem-solve and come up with solutions. This will make the others feel that they are a part of GP training — rather than seeing it as your own particular pet interest.
📋 How the Application Process Works
The process is broadly the same throughout the UK, though the detail varies by region. Your local TPD is your first port of call and will guide you through the specifics for your area.
Contact your local GP Training Scheme
Find your scheme's website and express your interest. Ask whether a Training Programme Director (TPD) could meet with you. This first meeting is exploratory — no commitment required.
Complete the application form
Your TPD will advise on how to fill this in. Treat it with care — this form is the only thing the deanery knows about you at the outset. Fill it with genuine, deep consideration. A good approach: get your Practice Manager to draft a first version, then you fine-tune it together. That way it reflects both perspectives. Ask your friendly local TPD to review it before submission — they want you to succeed.
Undertake the 1–2 year preparation programme
Depending on your region, this will be either a PGCert/PGCE in Medical Education or a structured series of New Trainer Workshops. Both are pre-requisites for approval. Most people say they loved it — even those who found it challenging.
Attend the GP Trainer's Interview
Usually held at your regional GP School. The panel typically includes someone from the deanery, a TPD, an experienced GP Trainer, and an HR representative. A lay person may also be present. Most interviews feel more like a guided conversation than an interrogation — as long as you are well prepared.
✅ What You Actually Need to Do — Preparation Checklist
Work through these roughly in order. There is flexibility, but all of them matter.
Contact your TPD and the Deanery
Express your interest. Your TPD will visit your practice to check that it meets the physical and organisational requirements for training. Ask for the detailed requirements document and share it with your Practice Manager. Complete the application form carefully — get your PM to draft it with you, then review it together before submission.
Sign up for the formal trainer training programme
This will be either a university Diploma/PGCert in Medical Education, or an approved series of New Trainer Workshops run by your deanery. Both are pre-requisites for approval. Most people say they loved it — even those who found it challenging.
Get an Educational Mentor — and meet regularly
Ask your TPD to assign you an Educational Mentor. These are usually experienced GP Trainers recognised for their skill and commitment. Aim for around six 3-hour sessions. Your mentor will guide you through areas of development, ask you to practise skills on a trainee, and may arrange video review of your teaching. The research on mentoring is clear: it accelerates development, opens new perspectives, and helps you achieve goals faster than working alone. Nearly all intending trainers say it was one of the most valuable parts of the process. Keep a learning diary — you may need to draw on it at interview.
Attend Trainers' Workshops — local scheme and deanery
Both types matter. Local workshops let you network with neighbouring trainers and bring your own challenges to the group. Deanery workshops provide more structured educational input on specific topics. You are expected to attend as an intending trainer — and you may be asked about it at interview. Beyond the professional development, they are genuinely good fun. And sometimes a good afternoon out of the practice is exactly what the doctor ordered.
Get involved with Half Day Release (HDR)
HDR runs every week (or fortnight) in every GP Training Scheme — a half-day educational session for GP trainees covering clinical, ethical, MRCGP, and a range of other topics. As an intending trainer, attending and helping co-facilitate is one of the most practical ways to develop real teaching skills. You will not be left alone — TPDs will support you. The facilitation skills you build here transfer far beyond GP training.
Read, watch, and practise with a borrowed trainee
There is a huge range of educational skills to develop — teaching methods, feedback, supervision, mentoring, WPBA assessments. Start with reading and YouTube. Then practise debriefs and COTs with a GP colleague or borrowed trainee. Sit in with an established GP Trainer to observe a COT or Educational Supervision session. Offer to help co-facilitate any course that will have you — you will learn skills that stay with you for the rest of your career.
Practical experience is worth more than theory alone
Don't just learn the theory — apply it. Just as you expect your GP trainees to apply what they learn in practice, you must do the same. Do some assessments. Give feedback. Make mistakes. Reflect. The theory becomes embedded when you use it, not just when you read it.
🏫 HDR, Trainers' Workshops, and Deanery Courses
Three different types of ongoing educator development — and all three matter.
🏫 Half Day Release (HDR)
The weekly (or fortnightly) educational half-day for GP trainees. Run by TPDs and covering everything from clinical topics to ethics, MRCGP, and the arts in medicine.
For intending trainers: attending and helping to co-facilitate is one of the best practical training experiences available. Contact your local TPD to get involved.
🤝 Local Trainers' Workshops
Run by your local GP Training Scheme. Agenda often set freely by the trainers themselves, though some sessions focus on specific requested topics (e.g. feedback, educational supervision).
Aims: maintain and enhance your skills, build a community of local trainers, and provide a space to bring your challenges to colleagues. Attendance is expected as a GP Trainer.
🎓 Deanery / GP School Courses
More structured and topic-specific. Often called Autumn/Spring/Summer Schools or similar. Aims: maintain skills and connect with trainers across the wider region.
Why Help Out at HDR?
- Something different and genuinely enjoyable — a healthy change from full-time clinical work.
- Practical development of small group facilitation skills.
- Exposure to a range of educational methods you can use in practice and elsewhere.
- You see the full spectrum of trainee abilities — useful context for assessing your own trainee.
- Familiarisation with the current training system and MRCGP components.
- You feel part of the training scheme — valued and connected.
- You build a network of fellow trainers and intending trainers — your future peer support.
- The warm glow of being hugely appreciated by the TPDs. (Genuinely — they will love you for it.)
Examples of Deanery-Run Trainer Courses
- CSRs and ESRs for New Trainers
- Rank and Power Dynamics in GP Training
- Self-awareness and Respectful Curiosity — Working with Diversity
- WPBA New Horizons: New Assessments, Prescribing, QIA and Beyond
- Educating the Multi-Professional Workforce in General Practice
- Managing Difficult Conversations with Trainees in Difficulty
- Medical Ethics I and II — Philosophical and Real-World Teaching
- The Art of Increasing Resilience and Cultivating Wellbeing in GP
- Refining Your Consultation Skills
- Maintaining the Art of GP — Sensory Loss and Storytelling
🏢 Do Not Forget Your Practice Manager
Get your Practice Manager involved in GP training right from the start. Make sure they are hooked in as much as you.
Believe me when I say: a great PM who is positive about GP training will make GP training life in the practice fun and easy.
If there is one person who can make GP training run smoothly — it is the Practice Manager. There are going to be times when last-minute things need doing, sorting, or changing. A PM who is "hooked" will always make your life as a GP trainer a pleasant and enjoyable one. And in times of difficult practice review discussions — for example, when training is not bringing in enough money compared to other activities — they will come to your rescue.
📣 Tell Your PM About These Resources
There is a section on this website specifically designed for Practice Managers. Show it to them. It will help them understand:
- What is meant by GP training and what it involves
- The rules and regulations they need to know
- Useful resources that will make their day-to-day role easier
The Trainer's Toolkit also has sections specifically for the Practice Manager — not just the trainer. Make sure they read their sections.
📋 What Your Practice Manager Needs to Know
- What GP training actually involves — practically and organisationally
- Their specific responsibilities during induction week by week
- How to prepare the trainee's room and workspace
- Employment and payment arrangements for GP trainees
- How to manage the trainee's timetable and adjustments (e.g. for OOH)
- Who to contact at the deanery and when
6-Monthly Practice Manager Workshops
Some schemes — like Bradford — run 6-monthly workshops specifically for Practice Managers, bringing them together to form a community of GP Training Practice Managers who can support each other. Contact your local Programme Administrator to see if this happens on your scheme. If it does not — suggest it. It makes a real difference to how supported your PM feels, and that feeds directly back into how smoothly your training runs.
🎙 The GP Trainer's Interview
Most people find it less frightening than they expected. Here is exactly what to expect — and how to prepare well.
📋 Interview Structure
- Duration: 20–30 minutes only
- Panel: Deanery representative, TPD, experienced GP Trainer, HR, and possibly a lay person
- Tone: Relaxed and conversational. They genuinely want you to succeed.
- Focus: Feelings, values, and attitudes — not deep theoretical knowledge
- What they want to see: Commitment, self-awareness, evidence of preparation
The single most important thing
The panel is not trying to catch you out. They simply need confidence that you are (a) the right kind of person, (b) genuinely committed, and (c) properly prepared. If all three are satisfied — you are very likely to pass.
⚠️ Common Reasons for Failing
- A poorly prepared or non-compliant trainee timetable — the most common reason for failure
- No evidence of attending trainers' workshops or deanery courses
- Vague or woolly answers — "talk the talk" without real examples
- Weak understanding of basic educational theory
- Practice not genuinely on board
- No educational mentor relationship established
- Application form completed hastily — panels notice
Note: If interviewers ask many follow-up questions, it is because your initial answer did not give them enough confidence. Be specific, give real examples, and own your gaps honestly.
📋 Interview Preparation Checklist
Paperwork
- Application form completed with careful thought — not rushed.
- Reviewed by TPD before submission.
Trainee Timetable
This is the most commonly failed element. Make sure your timetable clearly shows:
- 7 clinical sessions per week
- 3 non-clinical sessions — 1 HDR, 1 tutorial, 1 personal study
- Tutorials can be split (e.g. 2 × 90-minute sessions spread across the week)
- Each clinical session has a 20–30 minute debrief with a qualified GP
- Maximum total 40 hours per week
- Your working hours overlap significantly with the trainee's
- OOH sessions planned: 1 per month, with that time reimbursed in the same week
- Cover for tutorials is arranged for when you are on leave
Induction Pack
- You have an induction pack ready (or a clear plan for one).
- You have thought about what information the trainee needs before they arrive.
- A 2-week induction timetable is planned.
- You have reviewed the Bradford VTS Generic Induction Handbook.
Educational Knowledge
- Adult Learning Theory — the key principles
- How to identify a trainee's learning needs
- How to give feedback in a way that is embraced, not resisted
- A range of teaching methods — and when to use each
- How to evaluate a tutorial
- How to manage a trainee in difficulty
- WPBA assessments — especially COT and CBD experience
- Educational Supervision — purpose and approach
🎙 Interview Questions — By Theme
They will not ask all of these — typically around 5–6. Use them to reflect and write down your honest answers before the interview. Candidates who have genuinely thought through their responses perform far better than those who have memorised scripts. Written by Dr Ramesh Mehay.
About You
- What are the different roles of a GP trainer? Are you comfortable with all of them?
- What qualities make a good trainer?
- Why did you decide to become a trainer?
- What strengths do you bring to the role?
- What will your weaknesses be — and how will you address them?
Your Training Practice
- How involved was the whole practice in the decision to train?
- Were there any objections when you first raised the idea? How did you handle them?
- How have you physically prepared the surgery?
- How have you prepared other team members?
Your Preparation Journey
- How have you prepared for becoming a trainer over the past year?
- What has been your teaching experience so far?
- Which trainers' workshops have you attended? What did you learn?
- What new educational skills have you acquired?
- What experiences have taught you something important about yourself?
Teaching & Learning Knowledge
- How will you identify a new trainee's learning needs?
- How will you devise a learning plan?
- How would you prepare for a tutorial?
- What teaching methods will you use — and how will you choose between them?
- How will you evaluate a tutorial?
- How would you handle a trainee who constantly wants to be spoon-fed? (Hint: link this to encouraging adult learning.)
- How would you encourage adult learning?
- What are the principles of adult learning?
- How do learners actually acquire skills like communication skills?
- How would you motivate a trainee who seems disengaged?
- How will you ensure your feedback is well received rather than rejected?
MRCGP Assessment
- What experience have you had performing COT and CBD assessments? How did you find them?
- Have you had any exposure to Educational Supervision? What is its purpose? How comfortable do you feel with it?
Difficult Scenarios
- You are an assessor, a teacher, and now a friend to your trainee. Can you see tensions between those roles? How would you handle them?
- Your trainee is constantly defensive to feedback. Others have noticed it too. What do you do?
- Your trainee appears to be academically failing. How do you approach this?
- What will you do if you feel out of your depth in a training situation?
Final interview advice — from Dr Ramesh Mehay
Just be yourself. Honesty about gaps and uncertainties is appreciated far more than performed confidence. If you feel anxious and the words are not coming out, say so — the panel will take a moment to put you at ease.
Admit to your difficulties. The panel genuinely appreciates honesty. Vague or woolly answers lead to more questions. Real examples and honest self-reflection lead to passes.
Do have a genuine question ready. Not for show — because you are genuinely curious. They will respect that. Don't ask something just to look smart.
Don't stay up all night revising. It is not that sort of interview. They want the real you.
Download: How Well Prepared Are You?
This reflection document will help you work through your own readiness for the interview. Use it to write down your honest answers before the big day — candidates who have genuinely reflected on their responses perform far better than those relying on last-minute memorisation.
📥 Download: Trainer Interview — How Well Prepared Are You? (DOC)
💎 Insider Pearls — What Trainers Wish They Had Known
Real wisdom gathered from experienced GP trainers, training programme communities, and medical education research across the UK. The kind of thing that doesn't make it into official guidance — but makes a real difference in practice.
🚨 Spotting the Trainee in Difficulty — Early Warning Signs
Most trainees do well. The vast majority are a genuine pleasure to have. But every trainer encounters difficulty at some point — and early recognition makes all the difference.
🔴 Clinical Warning Signs
- Unsafe prescribing — doses, interactions, or inappropriate choices
- Failure to act on abnormal results or referral triggers
- Poor consultation structure — missing key history points repeatedly
- Avoidance of complex or difficult patients
- Lack of reflection on clinical errors
🟡 Behavioural Warning Signs
- Poor time-keeping — consistently late to clinics or tutorials
- Disorganisation — tasks not completed, admin left undone
- Failure to engage with the practice team
- Not attending HDR or other mandatory sessions
- Defensiveness when receiving feedback
🔵 ePortfolio Warning Signs
- Very few or very shallow learning log entries
- WPBA assessments not progressing at expected rate
- Reflections that describe events without genuine insight
- Not preparing adequately for educational supervision meetings
- Trainee not aware of their own learning needs
What to do when you spot these signs
- Document what you observe — keep notes in the educator's section of the FourteenFish ePortfolio
- Have an early, honest conversation — do not wait for it to escalate
- Identify the cause before assuming a solution
- Contact your TPD early — never try to handle serious difficulty entirely alone
- Ensure the trainee is registered with a GP outside your own practice
💡 Collected Wisdom — From Experienced Trainers
Build the relationship before you worry about assessments
The first two weeks of any placement are the single most important investment you will make. Trainers who spend that time getting to know the person — not just their clinical skills — report smoother placements overall. A trainee who feels genuinely safe with their trainer will tell you when they are struggling. One who feels judged will hide it until it becomes a bigger problem.
Don't assume "no news is good news" with the ePortfolio
Trainees are expected to add a minimum of two learning log entries per week. Check the FourteenFish ePortfolio regularly — not just before the ESR meeting. Sparse or shallow entries early in the placement are an early warning sign, and it is far easier to address at week four than at month five. A friendly nudge early saves a very difficult conversation later.
The debrief is not optional — it is a patient safety tool
The 20–30 minute post-surgery debrief is one of the most undervalued parts of GP training. It catches unsafe decisions before they become incidents. It provides immediate, contextual teaching. And it signals to the trainee that their work is valued and reviewed. Trainers who protect debrief time consistently report higher-quality trainees.
Stretch them — don't just supervise them
There is a difference between keeping a trainee safe and helping them grow. Good trainers ask questions that push the trainee beyond their current level of thinking. Instead of "was that the right antibiotic?", try "what else could this be and what would change your management?" Complexity in the ST3 year, in particular, is not a burden — it is essential preparation for the SCA and for independent practice.
Feedback works better when it is timely, specific, and expected
Feedback delivered days after the event loses most of its power. Say it at the debrief, while the consultation is still fresh. Be specific — "your safety-netting in that last consultation was vague; the patient wasn't told what to watch out for" is far more useful than "your safety-netting needs work." And teach your trainee about the process of feedback at the very beginning — trainees who understand feedback are much better at receiving it.
International trainees may need extra support — proactively
Trainees who trained outside the UK often bring excellent clinical skills, but may find the patient-centred, problem-orientated style of UK GP training quite different from what they experienced before. Colloquial language, cultural norms, and the expectation of shared decision-making can all be unfamiliar. Be explicit about these expectations early. Don't assume they already know what "patient-centred" looks like in a British GP context.
Adjust appointment length as confidence grows — don't rush it
For ST1 trainees, starting at 30-minute appointments is normal. Moving to 15 minutes by the end of the post is the goal. But trainees vary. Some feel ready earlier; others need longer. Monitor and adjust on an individual basis. A trainee rushed to shorter appointments before they are ready becomes anxious and unsafe. One held back when they are ready loses motivation and confidence. Watch and adapt — don't follow a fixed template.
The trainer–trainee relationship is like an apprenticeship
Research from trainer professional identity studies describes the relationship as fundamentally apprenticeship-like. You are not just a supervisor — you are a role model. Your trainees observe how you handle difficult patients, difficult conversations, and uncertainty. They absorb far more from watching you work than from any tutorial. Being mindful of what you model — both when things go well and when they don't — is one of the most powerful aspects of the role.
Learning styles — update your thinking
If you were trained to categorise your trainees by learning style (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic etc.) and match your teaching to it — recent research says this is not a reliable approach. The Bradford VTS educational theory pages explain what the current evidence actually says. The energy is better spent on creating active, problem-based learning and building regular reflection into training — things the evidence does clearly support.
Do not book leave in the trainee's first two weeks
It sounds obvious in hindsight. But many trainers underestimate how much the first two weeks set the tone for the entire placement. The relationship that is built in that fortnight — or is not built — shapes everything that follows. Absence in week one or two makes it twice as hard to establish the trust and rapport that good training depends on.
Don't let the administrative burden of training become invisible
The role of Educational Supervisor involves oversight across multiple trainees at different stages. Each ESR meeting can take 2–3 hours to prepare properly. Some trainers underestimate this at the start. Protect your time. Work with your Practice Manager to build protected time for ES meetings, debrief, and tutorial preparation into your weekly schedule. If this is not planned in advance, it falls through the cracks — and the quality of training suffers.
Becoming a trainer opens more doors than you might expect
Experienced trainers consistently report that the skills built through GP training translate far beyond the practice: facilitation, coaching, leadership, curriculum design, university teaching, deanery involvement, becoming a TPD, GP recruitment, and more. Many describe it as the most professionally enriching decision of their GP career — even those who found the first year challenging.
🔺 The Mindset of an Excellent GP Trainer
What separates a good trainer from a great one — distilled from educational research and trainer community experience.
Shapes how a doctor thinks, not just what they know
Creates psychological safety — the trainee feels truly supported
Specific, timely, honest — and always constructive
Protects debrief time, monitors the ePortfolio, plans tutorials
Attends workshops, reads, reflects — never stops developing as an educator
📚 What Makes a Good Tutorial? — A Quick Framework
Experienced trainers consistently identify the same elements when describing tutorials that actually change how a trainee thinks.
Clear Aim
Both trainer and trainee know what success looks like before you start
Trainee-Led
Built around the trainee's own learning needs — not just the trainer's agenda
Active Learning
The trainee does something — they are not just listening to you talk
Real-World Links
Connected to actual cases and real GP scenarios — not abstract theory
Good Questions
You ask questions that make the trainee think — not questions you already know the answer to
Evaluated
You ask for feedback on the tutorial itself — you learn too
A lecture involves a teacher speaking to a large group. A tutorial is different — it is a facilitated conversation. Your job is not to fill the trainee's head with information. It is to help them build their own understanding. The more they are actively involved, the more the knowledge will stick.
⏱ Appointment Length Guide — Adapting to Trainee Stage
This is a guide, not a fixed rule. Every trainee is different. Monitor, discuss, and adjust based on the individual. (Yorkshire & the Humber 2024 guidance)
| Stage | Starting Appointment | Target by End of Post | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ST1 in GP | 30 minutes | 15 minutes | Reduce in stages as confidence grows. Review individually. |
| ST3 in GP | 15–20 minutes | 10 minutes | Or rate of other GPs in the practice if longer. Target independent practice speed. |
| All stages | Always debrief after each surgery | 20–30 minutes with a qualified GP every session. | |
🔬 What the Research Says — The Trainer–Trainee Relationship
Multiple UK research studies have reached the same conclusion: the quality of the trainer–trainee relationship is the single most important factor in trainee outcomes.
When the relationship works well:
- Trainees feel safe to be honest about difficulties
- Learning accelerates and embeds more deeply
- Trainees are more likely to seek help early
- Motivation and wellbeing remain higher throughout
- Trainees are more likely to choose to stay in UK general practice
When the relationship breaks down:
- Trainees hide difficulties — problems escalate unseen
- Motivation and performance both suffer
- Psychological distress increases significantly
- Complaints and formal processes become more likely
- Trainees disengage from UK general practice long-term
Sources: Qualitative study of GP trainees failing to progress, 2020; Professional identity formation in GP trainers, 2022; British Journal of General Practice evidence synthesis on training experiences and career intentions, 2019.
🚫 Common Trainer Mistakes — What to Avoid
❌ Tutorial = PowerPoint lecture
Presenting slides at a trainee is not a tutorial. It is a lecture. Active learning embeds knowledge far more effectively than passive listening.
❌ Waiting until the ESR to raise concerns
If something worries you, say it at the debrief or the next tutorial — not six months later when the damage is done and the trainee has had no chance to improve.
❌ Treating all trainees the same
An ST1 who has just come from an acute medicine post needs very different support than an ST3 preparing for the SCA. Adapt your approach constantly.
❌ Solving problems for them
The temptation to just tell the trainee the right answer is strong — especially when you are busy. But solving it for them does not help them solve the next one independently. Ask questions instead.
❌ Ignoring the Practice Manager
GP training cannot run smoothly without a PM who understands and is invested in it. A PM kept in the dark becomes an obstacle. One kept informed becomes your best ally.
❌ Handling serious difficulty alone
If a trainee is significantly struggling, contact your TPD early. Trying to manage it entirely without support is isolating, and risks both the trainee and yourself. That is why the TPD exists.
🗺 When Something Goes Wrong — Who Does What?
A simple guide to escalation when a trainee is in difficulty. Use it before things become serious — not after.
😟 You notice a concern about the trainee
Step 1: Document what you observe in the FourteenFish ePortfolio educator notes
Step 2: Have an early, honest, supportive conversation with the trainee
Explore what is happening — do not assume you already know the cause
Manageable difficulty
Create an action plan together. Set specific objectives. Review regularly. Monitor the ePortfolio.
Serious difficulty
Contact your TPD immediately. Do not try to manage this alone. Early escalation protects everyone.
In all cases: ensure the trainee is registered with a GP outside your own practice
Trainees need someone to talk to who is not their assessor
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Practical answers to the questions new trainers ask most often.
Three resources will serve you well here:
- Induction to General Practice for New Trainees — geared at the new GP trainee, but invaluable for trainers to read. It reminds you of everything important to cover and provides downloadable resources, including a list of suggested tutorials.
- The Bradford VTS Generic Induction Handbook — download, adapt, and ideally get it professionally printed and bound. Trainees respond very positively to a well-presented induction pack — it signals that they are arriving somewhere that takes training seriously. Suggested printing specifications: A4, portrait, double-sided, colour, 130g silk paper, gloss laminated cover. Good value at around £20 per copy when ordering more than one. We use doxzoo.com.
- The Trainer's Toolkit — a complete GP timeline from the trainee's first day to their last, with the induction period outlined in granular detail week by week. Separate checklists for the trainer and for the Practice Manager. Make sure your PM reads their section.
The trainee will typically bring their own stethoscope. The practice provides a doctor's bag with the following as a minimum:
The emergency drugs box should include: adrenaline, benzylpenicillin, aspirin, an inhaler, and GTN spray. Check all items are in date at every new trainee induction.
You do not need to buy expensive branded equipment. A £500 ophthalmoscope does the same job as a £60 equivalent. Bradford VTS has sourced quality alternatives at roughly half the price: www.thedoctorshop.co.uk
Local Scheme Trainers' Workshops
The agenda is typically set by the trainers themselves — free and flexible. Some focus on a specific requested topic (e.g. feedback, educational supervision). Aims: maintain and build skills, develop a community of local trainers, and work through challenges together. Attendance is expected as a GP Trainer — not optional. Different schemes run these differently: some as regular half-days, others as whole days, others as 2–3 day residentials. Bradford uses a combination to accommodate as many trainers as possible.
Deanery / GP School Courses
More structured and topic-specific. Aimed at connecting trainers across the wider region. For Yorkshire & the Humber, see: Maxcourse GP School calendar →
Examples of sessions you may find:
As an intending trainer, you are strongly encouraged to attend both local and deanery sessions — and you may be asked about this at interview.
HDR is a weekly (or fortnightly) half-day educational session — typically 2–5pm on a Tuesday afternoon (though this varies by scheme). It covers clinical, ethical, MRCGP preparation, and arts-based learning, using a variety of educational methods to suit different learners. It is an enjoyable session and central to trainee development on the scheme.
As an intending trainer, getting involved in HDR is one of the most practical ways to develop real teaching skills. Contact your local TPD. You will not be left alone — experienced TPDs will co-facilitate with you. Trainees are usually split into small groups, so small-group facilitation skills are exactly what you will build.
Past intending trainers consistently report that helping at HDR was one of the most valuable experiences in their entire preparation journey. And it looks good at the interview, too.
Honest tip from those who have been
Something different and enjoyable on a Tuesday afternoon. A change really is as good as a rest — especially if you are starting to feel the early signs of GP burnout, disillusion, or grumpiness. It re-energises you in ways you wouldn't expect.
Yes — but not in the way you might expect. The reason most people find educational theory dull is that it is usually written by academics in a style designed to impress colleagues rather than communicate ideas. Bradford VTS has rewritten the core of it in plain, accessible language.
Understanding educational theory genuinely changes the way you think about teaching. It changes the way people learn. That is not an exaggeration — it is transformative in practice. And it is not a lot to ask for at interview — they want to know you understand the principles of adult learning, not that you have memorised the entire taxonomy of Bloom.
Key topics to prioritise: Adult Learning Theory, Constructivism, Learning Needs, Identifying Learning Styles, and Constructive Alignment. Start with the fundamentals page and go from there — small and often. Educational Theory — the basics →
Yes. Unconditionally, yes. If anyone — a TPD, a deanery lead, a fellow trainer — offers you the opportunity to help co-facilitate any course or workshop, take them up on it. The facilitation and educational skills you build through hands-on co-delivery stick with you in ways that no amount of reading achieves. You will learn to read a room, adapt your teaching on the fly, manage group dynamics, and explain things more clearly. These are skills that will serve you in every area of your professional life — and beyond it.
🏁 Take-Home Points
The bits to carry with you after reading this page.
- 1 Apply to become a GP trainer 1–2 years before you want to take a trainee on. It takes longer than most people expect.
- 2 GP training is a whole-practice activity. Getting your Practice Manager and colleagues on board from day one is not optional — it is essential.
- 3 Get an Educational Mentor assigned by your TPD. The evidence for mentoring is strong — it accelerates everything.
- 4 The Trainer's Interview is not an interrogation. They want to see commitment, self-awareness, and preparation. Just be yourself — and be honest about gaps.
- 5 The most common interview failure is a poorly prepared or non-compliant trainee timetable. Make sure yours meets the 7 clinical + 3 non-clinical session requirement, with debriefs.
- 6 Educational theory is not boring when explained well. It transforms the way you think about teaching. Give Bradford VTS's version a fair chance.
- 7 Attend HDR and help co-facilitate. The practical educational skills you build there are among the most transferable of your career.
- 8 Use the GP Training Map to understand what trainees need to achieve — and to check your trainee remains on track throughout their time with you.
- 9 Say yes to every opportunity to co-facilitate a course. Hands-on experience embeds skills in a way that reading alone never can.
- 10 Teaching is one of the most rewarding things a GP can do. Done well, it contributes to the future of general practice. And that is something to feel genuinely proud of.
Bradford VTS — Free since 2002 · Created by Dr Ramesh Mehay · For GP trainees, trainers, and TPDs everywhere
Medical information on this website is provided for educational use only. Always verify clinical information against current guidance.